DiamondCentric

Back at the beginning of April, the Jays headed into Chicago to play against a team coming off a 101-loss season. The games were close, with plenty of opportunities for the Jays to win, but eventually they came out on the wrong end of a series sweep. What unfolded in early April was one of the first warning signs that the Blue Jays were not the team many expected them to be. Returning from the All-Star break, the Jays hosted the White Sox for a chance at redemption and maybe a shot at reestablishing themselves for a second-half run. Even if you remove the first game blow-out, winning one of three games and scoring one run in the last two would suggest the first half was not an anomaly but just who this team is. Outside of the first game, Jays pitching was strong. The White Sox, who are clearly better than they were last year, tended to get men on base and at least threaten here and there during games. In the few innings where the Jays did get men on base with fewer than two outs, particularly in the win on Saturday afternoon, they couldn’t pick up any insurance runs. It has only been one series, but it appears the magic of the dragon has disappeared, and it might be time for another stuffed animal on a stick. Manager John Schneider says the team has “to start winning.” That’s fair. He has tried just about everything this year. As the first game of this week's series against the Rays proved, it isn't getting any easier. Historically, the Jays tend to play a bit better against the Rays in Toronto (123-117), while Tampa Bay has the Jays' number in Florida, holding a 152-94 all-time record. Schneider has started again talking about urgency, but he’s used that word before this season with little sustained benefit. In the post-game press conference after Sunday’s game, he also talked about how the team needs to “come with the mentality that you expect to win every single day.” That’s tough when you aren’t and don’t win every game. Confidence and momentum, especially at the professional level, are hard to quantify. On paper, the Jays had one of the easier schedules to start the season, but in hindsight things just didn’t play out that way. Maybe it was a case of playing down to opponents. Coming out of the All-Star break, the Jays no longer have the luxury of pointing toward an easy schedule. If anything, the remaining slate presents a significantly tougher challenge. Many of the opponents are chasing playoff spots themselves or already occupy them. Win and the team climbs the standings, lose and they drop. If the Jays remain inconsistent, then they will hover in this “no man’s land” while staying in the hunt but not really progressing. The Orioles just won seven in a row with a run differential this season of -14. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are the hottest team in baseball (they just snapped Baltimore's win streak), winning 14 in a row with a run differential of +46. The Jays are 4-6 in their last 10 with a run differential of -51 for the season. They are now 5.5 games out of the Wild Card, with only three teams below them in the AL standings. The next closest team in the hunt, the Athletics, are 8.5 games out of the Wild Card. Their run differential is an abysmal -111. The Jays entered the season hoping to establish a clear version of themselves. Were they a power-hitting club? A run-prevention club? A balanced contender built around versatility? Four months later, the answer remains unclear. Baseball history contains countless examples of teams that came alive after the All-Star break. There remains enough time for the Jays to make a push, especially with direct games remaining against competitors ahead of them. While the Red Sox and Orioles weathered their own storms and figured out how to win ball games, the Jays have not. In a season that feels full of stops and starts, maybe the first series after the All-Star break was just that. The Jays can look like a team capable of beating anybody on any given night. The next night they can look completely overmatched. There have been stretches where the starting pitching carried the club. Then there have been stretches where the bullpen was the team's greatest strength. At times the defense has been excellent. At other times the offense has shown flashes of life. Unfortunately, this season, rarely have those elements materialized at the same time. In a season that already feels full of false starts, maybe this first series after the break was just another one. Maybe the team responds against stronger opponents and finally discovers some consistency. Or maybe those two White Sox series, one in April and one in July, will eventually be remembered as snapshots of exactly who this team was all along. That is the uncomfortable question facing the Blue Jays in this second half of the season. The answer will determine whether meaningful games are still being played in September or not. At this point, it is still tough to tell. View the full article

In a turn of events that was so improbable Hollywood would have rejected the script just a month ago, the Boston Red Sox have rattled off a 13-game winning streak and are firmly in the American League Wild Card picture. After sweeping the first series of the second half against the Tampa bay Rays, they certainly have their eye on continuing the hot streak as we progress through the end of July. If things keep up on this track, then Craig Breslow will be keen to add pieces as the trade deadline approaches. That happening though, hinges on these four players not buckling under the pressure that leading a playoff-bound team comes with. #4: 3B Caleb Durbin Who would have thought that after the first two months of the season, Durbin would be looked at as a make-or-break player. After a couple of days off in late May, he has been on a tear at the plate. He’s currently slashing .236/.299/.392 with a .304 wOBA, 89 wRC+, and a 1.4 fWAR. While the slash line doesn’t look overly impressive, remember he was hitting well below the Mendoza line for weeks when the season got underway. He’s been Gold Glove worthy at third base on defense all year, and now that his bat is finally coming around, he’s one of the most valuable pieces on this team. While he’s not a pure power threat, he can drive the ball out of the yard with relative ease. His strength lies in his ability to get on base though, and while we’d like to see a higher walk rate than his current 6.6%, we’re not going to complain too hard. A couple of months ago, we hosted a livestream of the Talk Sox Podcast with Brewer Fanatic’s Jason Wang and Jake McKibbin. During it, Jake told us that we’d love Caleb Durbin eventually this season. At the time we thought he was crazy -- now, we’re finding out that Brewers fans are just as prescient as the team they root for. #3: LHP Payton Tolle It may feel a bit weird to include the rookie southpaw on this list, but he essentially plugs in as the number three starter for this team and needs to remain rock solid on the mound as he prepares to fly past his career high in innings. Tolle currently holds a 3.11 ERA with over 84 innings pitched with a strikeout percentage of 25.5%, a walk rate of 7.3%, a 3.23 FIP, and 2.1 fWAR. He had a couple of shaky starts this season and for the first quarter of the year, the offense seemed allergic to letting him win games when he was on the bump, but we seem to be beyond both issues at this point. Where the pressure lies for the youngster is in his pitch mix. He throws the ‘Three-Headed Monster of Hard’ with his fastball combination of a four-seam, sinker, and cutter, but when he’s operating at his full capacity, he’s featuring a devastating curveball that keeps hitters off balance and off rhythm. If he continues to be the dominant starter we’ve come to expect, then the biggest strength of the Red Sox will continue to propel them forward. If he runs into a second half wall, though, then it could be tough sledding for an injury-depleted starting rotation. #2: OF Wilyer Abreu We all expect Abreu to play Gold Glove defense in right field on a daily basis, but the steps he’s taken against left-handed pitching for the 2026 season have shown us just how special of a player he can be. Against southpaws in 2026, Abreu is slashing .345/.421/.527 with a .411 wOBA, and 162 wRC+. To put it simply, he’s been incredible against them. When facing a righty though, the numbers look vastly different. He’s slashing .227/.295/.406 with a .303 wOBA, and an 88 wRC+. To be able to help push the team in the right direction as they look to buy heading into the trade deadline, Abreu has to find his footing against righties moving forward. Luckily, he seems to have maybe done that early in the second half as he took Griffin Jax deep for two home runs in the first game back out of the All-Star Break. #1: 1B Willson Contreras The heartbeat of the offense, the leader on the field. Contreras has been as advertised since being brought over from the Cardinals. The Sox played great baseball while he was suspended for the altercation he was a part of against the Nationals, but the team goes as Contreras goes. When he slumps, it seems like the rest of the lineup is slumping. When he’s hot, as he’s been much of this season, everything in front of and behind him seems to click. On top of being an excellent offensive player, Contreras has settled first base in a way that hasn’t been seen in years in Boston. He’s smooth, picks anything near him, and now we no longer have to worry about the cold corner being a defensive black hole. As long as he continues to play well on both sides of the ball, the Red Sox are going to be in a great spot as we approach the trade deadline. View the full article

Clay Holmes is working his way back to the major leagues, but not necessarily the New York Mets, after being out for two months with a leg fracture. In other words, it's officially trade season for the veteran right-hander. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported over the weekend that the Chicago White Sox are “keeping taps (sic)” on Holmes with his rehab beginning this past weekend and the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline now two weeks away. Special assistant Nick Hostetler has been assigned to monitor Holmes, according to the report. The White Sox make a lot of sense as a suitor. They’re surprise leaders in the American League Central, but their rotation needs help for the stretch run. The $4 million-plus that Holmes will be owed for the final third of the season would be a worthwhile investment, even if it might give penurious team owner Jerry Reinsdorf heartburn. The White Sox’s top four starters entering Monday were Davis Martin, 29; Sean Burke, 26; former Met Anthony Kay, 31; and rookie Noah Schultz, 22. The “No. 5 starter” was Erick Fedde, 33. who has become almost exclusively a bulk reliever who follows an opener. Speaking of openers, the Sox have used 19 of them this season, essentially a full rotation spot’s worth through 98 games. And while some of the group’s individual ERAs look strong, one collective stat is misleading. The White Sox are second in the majors in fewest runs allowed by starting pitchers, behind only the Milwaukee Brewers, but the starters (which includes all the openers) have thrown the fewest innings. The starters' overall ERA is 4.21, 14th in baseball. Holmes, 33, has averaged 5.85 innings per start this year for the Mets, including his abbreviated outing May 15 when a comebacker by the Yankees’ Spencer Jones broke his right fibula. He has a 2.39 ERA/3.21 FIP in nine starts. With those numbers, he could slot behind Martin at No. 2 in Chicago’s rotation. Now that it’s out there that the White Sox are on the Holmes trail, what could they reasonably offer in a deadline trade? What Framework Will the Mets Seek In A Clay Holmes-White Sox Trade? Overpaying with a top-five prospect doesn’t make sense for the White Sox. First of all, they're still looking to the future after getting into contention a year “early.” Secondly, Holmes may not be at 100 percent when he returns. And lastly, because he's expected to decline his $12 million player option for 2027, he'll more than likely be a pure rental. But if you look at the next tier of Pale Hose prospects, there’s one player who catches the eye: No. 9 William Bergolla Jr. The 21-year-old Bergolla has an offensive profile that screams “BREWERS EAST,” also known as team president David Stearns’ Platonic ideal. He’s elite at making contact, he’s fast, and he’s a willing bunter. He also has one home run in five professional seasons. In 10 games with Triple-A Charlotte this year, he has slashed .457/.525/.571 with two stolen bases and four strikeouts in 43 plate appearances. He has been out since April 9 after suffering a shin bruise in a collision with outfielder Sam Antonacci, but he’s running and hitting now, so a summer return appears likely. Bergolla has a baseball pedigree, too: His father, William, made it to the majors as a middle infielder with the Cincinnati Reds in 2005. Bergolla the son also plays up the middle. The majority of his work has been at shortstop, but he also has 109 games of experience at second base. The White Sox’s middle infield looks set long term with slugger Colson Montgomery at short and contact-heavy Chase Meidroth at second. Miguel Vargas is holding down third base, so a position change is not practical for anyone. New York’s middle infield isn’t open, either but that could change in the near future. Catch-up reps at Triple-A Syracuse in 2027, followed by a stint backing up Marcus Semien and Francisco Lindor, would have Bergolla in position to be a starter if/when the Mets move on from Semien or, though unlikely, Lindor. Recall that Stearns did business with White Sox general manager Chris Getz last January. The roles were reversed then. Getz wanted to move center fielder Luis Robert Jr., a player Stearns had been pursuing for a while. Eventually, Stearns agreed to take on all of Robert’s $20 million salary for 2026 (and his 2027 club option) in exchange for utility player Luisangel Acuña, who no longer had a role in New York, plus minor-league pitcher Truman Pauley. Robert has been out since April with a back injury, while Acuña has become a speed merchant off the bench for the Sox. A deadline trade of Holmes for a middling prospect would be another short-term win for Chicago. For the Mets, Bergolla could turn into a better Acuña. View the full article

Running a baseball team is not for the faint of heart, and as the Mets best-laid plans for 2026 blow up in their faces on a regular basis, and undeterred leadership team has executed a pretty unconventional, and seemingly high-risk draft strategy. Transactions, 7/11/2026 COMING Drafted as First-Round Selection (27th Overall) out of Arkansas Drafted as Third-Round Selection (92nd Overall) out of Texas Drafted as Fourth-Round Selection (120th Overall) out of Texas A&M Relief Pitchers Outfielders Starting Pitchers Carson Wiggins Aiden Robbins Shane Sdao R/R DoB: 2005-06-01 High Level: Division I+ (2026) R/R DoB: 2005-01-14 High Level: Division I+ (2026) L/L DoB: 2003-09-29 High Level: Division I+ (2026) The first thing you'll notice about the Mets 2026 amateur draft selections is that they went all in on pitchers. In this day of massive pitcher attrition and increasingly shorter starter workloads, the old saw of "you can never have enough pitching" is truer than ever, but ... well, somebody has to play the field. With fully 15 of their 19 draft picks, they went for hurlers. They probably intend to offset their appetite for arms by recruiting position players through the foreign amateur markets, or acquiring them through wheeling and dealing along the way. A second thing you'll notice also starts off with #1 pick Carson Wiggins, and that's not just that the Mets have gone for pitching, but overwhelmingly relief pitching. Historically, drafted players drafted players are at or near the top of their amateur team's starting rotations, and pro teams draft them with the hope that they can be that for them as well, and if that doesn't work, relief work is a workable fallback outcome. Certainly, young Mr. Wiggins is not the first guy drafted in the first round as a reliever, and while converting a pitcher from relief to starting does happen (as in the case of Clay Holmes), it is still damned rare. But the Mets looked past the bullpen assignment and the scant record (14 college innings), and instead saw the 102-mph fastball and pulled the trigger. Given a chance to bet on records and established outcomes to date, the Mets instead bet on their scouting and development people and trust them to produce a weapon here. Time will tell. Cynics like my friend duan have suggested that there is no such thing as a relief prospect, and considering he made that remark after the Mets selected Eddie Kunz at the back end of Round One in 2007, he has a point. Transactions, 7/12/2026 COMING Drafted as Fifth-Round Selection (152d Overall) out of Florida Drafted as Sixth-Round Selection (181st Overall) out of Auburn Drafted as Seventh-Round Selection (210th Overall) out of Stanford Drafted as Eighth-Round Selection (240th Overall) out of Mississippi Relief Pitchers Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Luke McNeillie Alex Petrovic Aidan Keenan Landon Koenig L/R DoB: 2005-03-17 High Level: Division I+ (2026) R/R DoB: 2004-05-27 High Level: Division I+ (2026) R/R DoB: 2005-03-07 High Level: Division I+ (2026) R/R DoB: 2004-11-23 High Level: Division I+ (2026) COMING Drafted as Ninth-Round Selection (270th Overall) out of Cal Poly Drafted as 10th-Round Selection (300th Overall) out of Dartmouth Drafted as 11th-Round Selection (330th Overall) out of Arkansas Drafted as 12th-Round Selection (360th Overall) out of UC Santa Barbara Catchers Starting Pitchers Outfielders Relief Pitchers Ryan Tayman Nate Isler Kuhio Aloy AJ Krodel R/R DoB: 2005-08-26 High Level: Division I+ (2025) R/R DoB: 2004-10-25 High Level: Division I (2026) R/R DoB: 2005-07-13 High Level: Division I+ (2026) R/R DoB: 2005-05-11 High Level: Division I (2026) COMING Drafted as 13th-Round Selection (370th Overall) out of Notre Dame HS (CA) Drafted as 14th-Round Selection (420th Overall) out of Troy Drafted as 15th-Round Selection (450th Overall) out of Missouri-St. Louis Drafted as 16th-Round Selection (480th Overall) out of LSU Catchers Relief Pitchers Jacob Madrid Zach Crotchfelt Dustin Hagens, Jr. Gavin Guidry R/R DoB: 2007-11-02 High Level: HS (2026) L/L DoB: 2003-10-03 High Level: Division I+ (2024) R/R DoB: 2005-01-05 High Level: Division II (2026) R/R DoB: 2003-07-14 High Level: Division I+ (2026) COMING Drafted as 17th-Round Selection (510th Overall) out of Arkansas Drafted as 18th-Round Selection (540th Overall) out of Kings Ridge Christian HS (GA) Drafted as 19th-Round Selection (570th Overall) out of Central Florida Drafted as 20th-Round Selection (600th Overall) out of Iowa Relief Pitchers Outfielders Infielders Cooper Dossett Marcus Ward John Smith III Kooper Schulte R/R DoB: 2004-04-10 High Level: Division I+ (2026) L/L DoB: 2007-11-14 High Level: HS (2026) R/R DoB: 2003-11-19 High Level: Division I (2026) R/R DoB: 2003-12-08 High Level: Division I+ (2026) A third thing you might notice about the Mets draft strategy is that they overwhelmingly (17 of 19 selections) went for college players. College players have less leverage at the negotiating table, and are obviously on a faster track (or at least have access to a faster track) to the big leagues, but one may conclude it shows less faith in the organization's development team. Or maybe a management team in charge of a team playing some terrible ball wants help as soon as they can get it. They not only went for college players, but college players overwhelmingly from the top conferences (labeled Division I+) on the transaction tables. Teams from the ACC, the SEC, The Big 10, and the Pac 12 don't always win the NCAA championship, but the week-by-week standard of play is markedly better than in the other 26 conferences in Division I. The worst teams in these conferences are generally as good as or better than the top teams in the other conferences — and certainly deeper. Back when the draft had 30, 40, or 50 rounds, virtually every eligible player — backup catchers and mop-up relievers included — had a good chance of hearing their name called by a big-league team before graduation. The difference between these four conferences and the rest of Division I is probably bigger than the gap between Division I and Division II. Fourteen of their 17 collegiate picks came out of these conferences. Lastly, it's notable how many of these players are not here because of eye-popping stats. Round Player Numbers 1 Carson Wiggins 3.21 ERA in only 14 innings 4 Shane Sdao 7.03 ERA in 71 innings 7 Aidan Keenan 5.82 ERA in 21 2/3 innings 8 Landon Koenig 6.35 ERA in 22 2/3 innings 10 Nate Isler 4.98 ERA in 65 innings 11 Kuhio Aloy A respectable .838 OPS, but zero games in the field, with only five games in the field in his collegiate career, and a body type that says he is likely to be sticking at DH 12 AJ Krodel 5.66 ERA in 35 innings 16 Gavin Guidry 6.39 ERA in 43 2/3 innings 17 Cooper Dossett 6.88 ERA in 17 innings Now, all of that comes with caveats: We've selected only the most incriminating cases, though there certainly seem to be a lot. These guys, as noted, have come out of the highest levels of NCAA competition. The NCAA, with the aluminum bat thing happening, plays toward the hitters and away from the pitchers. Amateur fielders behind you have a way of inflating ERAs. There is no shame in trusting what your scouts say over what the numbers say. The Mets too Bobby Parnell in the ninth round with a 9-ish ERA (if memory serves) out of a relatively obscure Charleston Southern program and made a triple-digit-throwing MLB closer out of him, so it's a defensible strategy — even one we might choose to defend if the Mets weren't currently eating up all of our good will on a nightly basis, but it is sure a strategy the went for seemingly round after round after round. Much is to be revealed. Marcus Ward, for instance, has been labeled as a pitcher in Mets reports, but pre-draft scouting reports have him as an outfield prospect, and only a few indifferently allude to his side hustle as a pitcher. The Mets have added an Aiden and an Aidan, a Cooper and a Kooper. It's hard to say the future is looking bright in an organization cruising toward last place with a massive payroll and no manager, but they have paused briefly in mid-summer and selected a man named Zach Crotchfelt. Moments like that just makes the sun shine a little brighter. View the full article

HOUSTON, TX - The Miami Marlins free fall continued on Monday night as they fell 8-5 to a struggling Houston Astros team. A team that once stood 10 games over .500, comfortably in the third National League Wild Card spot and even in the fight for the National League East crown, find themselves once again fighting to gain sole possession of the third Wild Card Spot and sporting the longest losing streak in baseball at seven games. Despite these struggles, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough does not believe that the pressure of competing for a playoff spot has been a factor, noting "that's something you guys bring up a lot" and calling it "a hot topic." "I thought for the most part we pitched very well in Milwaukee, and they just outplayed us for for three days," McCullough said pregame. "I'm sure that the headlines will continue to be that, and I look at it like this stretch of games and losing over the course of an entire season unfortunately happens on multiple occasions. Right now we're going through it, and I think myself and our coaches are just much more concerned with getting our guys back to playing a better brand of baseball." What should keep fans hopeful is what the 2023 Marlins looked like just three years ago. Coming out of the All-Star Break, they dropped eight straight games, standing at 53-47 before snapping the streak. That team finished the season with an 84-78 record, good enough for the second Wild Card spot. The National League may not require a high amount of wins to slip into the postseason, so that keeps the 2026 Marlins in a similar, but favorable spot. Marlins starting pitcher Janson Junk described his season as "up and down." On Monday night, we saw the down of Junk's season, allowing six runs in four innings pitched, walking three in the process. All six of the runs allowed came in a 42-pitch bottom of the second inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Junk had to face the top of the Astros lineup, starting with Jeremy Peña. He took Junk deep, for his second career grand slam, giving the Astros a 5-2 lead. Yordan Alvarez followed it up with his 32nd home run of the season, making it 6-2 after just two innings of work. "I think the second inning, that's the story of it," Junk said postgame. "I don't really care that I came out after, went a few more innings and put up zeros. That's what I'm trying to do. Putting the team in a 6-2 deficit after we go up to with a big home run, to have (the Astros) come back with a six-spot, that's pretty demoralizing." Junk's biggest struggles have come with his command. In 2025, Junk surrendered 1.06 walk per nine, which was the lowest in baseball (minimum 110.0 IP). It is still low this season, at 2.61, but certainly a jump compared to where it was just one year ago. What hurt Junk the most in that second inning was walking the lead-off hitter, LaMonte Wade Jr. He walked three in that second inning. "I think it could be just getting back into the groove, coming off the IL, you know," Junk said. "I think that's something I got like check mechanically, maybe just getting outside of myself a little bit and I think it's those leadoff walks. That happened a few times against the Mariners in my last outing, but I was able to come back from it. Tonight shows you that leadoff walks kill you, and I'll get better at that." As an offense, the Marlins struck out 14 times, tied for second-most this season. One through six in the lineup each struck out twice. Astros starter Ronel Blanco took the mound for the first time in 429 days and struck out eight in 4 2/3 innings of work. The Astros bullpen combined for the other six strikeouts. On top of that, the Marlins went one for seven with runners in scoring position. The Marlins' source of offense came from Joe Mack hitting his eighth home run of the season in the top of the second inning and Liam Hicks hitting his team-leading 14th home run in the fourth inning, both off Blanco. Heriberto Hernandez provided some signs of life in the ninth inning, knocking in an RBI single, but it was too late at that point. "Three innings or so there, I think we we did a good job," McCullough said. "We talked about just trying to create some traffic and we just weren't able to come through with some hits with runners in scoring position. We'll continue to give ourselves those shots. That'll turn, I know that will. The strikeouts, it's something that's a little atypical of our group for the most part, but we've been piling them up here recently, so got to try to put the ball forward with a little more regularity." With the loss, the Marlins fall to 52-49 on the season, still tied for the third National League Wild Card spot as the St. Louis Cardinals fell to the Los Angeles Angels after the Marlins game. Tyler Phillips will take the mound for the Marlins as they look to snap the losing-skid on Tuesday at 8:10 pm EST. View the full article

TRANSACTIONS DSL Twins activated RHP Camilo Made. Minnesota Twins optioned SS Tristan Gray to St. Paul Saints. SAINTS SENTINEL The Saints rebounded tremendously coming out of the All-Star break, sweeping the Louisville Bats 4-0 over the weekend. The Saints will return home this week to take on Columbus, whom they split their late-May series with earlier this season. The Clippers, of the Cleveland Guardians organization, will bring with them two top-100 talents. 1B/LF Ralphy Velazquez has split his season between Double-A and Triple-A, now playing 42 games with the Clippers. Triple-A competition has proven to cool him a bit initially, as the 21-year-old is now hitting .273/.357/.422 (.780 OPS). Switch-hitting Angel Genao will also make the trip to St. Paul and has been hitting well after his mid-season promotion to Triple-A as he slashes .305/.390/.486 (.876 OPS) C/LF Cooper Ingle is a top-10 organizational prospect for Cleveland. At 24 years old and in part of a second season at Triple-A, Ingle has put together very positive numbers, hitting .295/.422/.570 (.992 OPS). Those numbers were enough to give Ingle a brief stint in the big leagues. WIND SURGE WISDOM The break also proved effective for the Wind Surge, as they went 3-0 over their short series with Arkansas. The Wind Surge will now take on the Midland Rockhounds at home, who had Wichita’s number last time in a 1-5 series at the end of June. Top nationally ranked prospect, SS Leo De Vries, has only improved on his hitting numbers, which now sit at .292/.384/.455 (.839 OPS). The same trend is true for OF Devin Taylor, whose numbers have improved to .338/.400/.610 (1.010 OPS) in his 33 games at Double-A. The final top Athletic prospect to keep an eye on is LHP Jamie Arnold, whose ERA has dropped from 4.64 to 4.11 since last facing the Wind Surge. KERNEL CHRONICLE Cedar Rapids split their four-game series with Beloit over the weekend and now travel to Dayton for a full six-game series. The Cincinnati Reds affiliate boasts one borderline top-10 prospect. That prospect is 20-year-old 3B/SS Tyson Lewis. Lewis is a short 13 games into his High-A career and is batting .288/.327/.442 (.770 OPS) with two stolen bases (9 total between Low and High-A). MIGHTY MATTERS Fort Myers only managed to go 1-2 against Lakeland in their three-game set, but there was a fun family rivalry between the Rucker family. Now the Mussels will travel to St. Lucie. The Mets affiliate still boasts Elian Pena as their most intriguing prospect. Pena is hitting similarly to what he did last time the Mussels saw St. Lucie with a slash line of .261/.387/.352 (.739 OPS). FCL TWINS Twins 4, Pirates 10 Box Score The Monday loss officially eliminated the FCL Twins from playing in the FCL playoffs this year. They are one of five teams with more than 30 wins. Unfortunately, the Wild Card will also come from the same division. The two remaining games with the Orioles will no longer have playoff implications. The Twins were neck and neck with the Pirates for most of the game, but the seventh inning turned ugly as the Pirates put a crooked six on the scoreboard. In the top of the third inning, Yovanny Duran was able to put up the Twins second run after scoring on a wild pitch. Duran had a productive day going 1-for-4 with a double, a walk, and two runs scored. Ironically, both of Duran’s runs scored came on wild pitches. After the Pirates tied the game up in the fourth inning, the Twins came up in the top of the fifth and Teilon Serrano singled to score 2B Bryan Acuna. Acuna was 1-for-4, with a walk, and a run scored on Monday. Serrano also added a walk to his single that scored Acuna. Melvin Rodriguez got the start for the Twins and had a productive start even if that is not reflected in the final score. Rodriguez went 4 ⅔ innings, allowed five hits, two earned runs, two walks, while striking out four. Carter Joljes, who ended up as the pitcher of record, pitched 1 ⅓ innings of relief, allowing five hits, seven runs, four earned runs, issued two walks, and recorded one strikeout. DSL TWINS Twins 1, Marlins 10 Box Score In a 10-1 loss, it is hard to find anything positive, but there are a few highlights over what will ultimately go down as a tough loss. Miguel Martinez got the Twins started with a clean first inning, allowing no hits, one walk, and two strikeouts. That was the only inning Martinez pitched, seemingly acting as an opener for the Twins against the Marlins. Jesus Moreno tackled a bulk of the Twins pitching innings, and he was the first pitcher the Marlins got to, although not until Moreno’s third and final inning of work. Moreno held the Marlins scoreless for two innings, but in the end his stat line was three innings pitched, five hits, five runs, four earned runs, two walks, and two strikeouts. Offensively, the Twins scored their one run right after the Marlins exploded for five in the fifth inning. It was the often-impactful Luis Duarte who singled to drive in Misael Rodriguez to bring the score to 5-1. Rodriguez was subbed into the game for Juan Holmann, who didn’t record an at-bat and went 2-for-3 to raise his average to .302. Jendy Martinez also had a good day at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a walk. Anibal Beltre was the third Twins player to have a multi-hit day, going 2-for-3 with a strikeout. Six of the Twins seven hits Monday were evenly divided up between Martinez, Rodriguez, and Beltre. Daiyer Barboza and Abel Sosa were the Twins representatives in the DSL All-Star Game Sunday. Sosa entered the game but did not record an at-bat. Barboza did not show up in the box score for the game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Misael Rodriguez: 2-3, 1 R, 1 K Melvin Rodriguez: 4 ⅔ IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K TOP 20 PROSPECT WEEK IN REVIEW #1- Walker Jenkins (Saints)- .286/.412/.643, 1.055 OPS, 2 2B, 1 HR #4- Eduardo Tait (Kernels)- .308/.400/.692, 1.092 OPS, 2 2B, 1 HR #5- Marek Houston (Wind Surge)- .214/.294/.214, .508 OPS #6- Riley Quick (Kernels)- 2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K #7- Kendry Rojas (Twins)- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K #8- Hendry Mendez (Saints)- ..125/.125/.125, .250 OPS #10- Gabriel Gonzalez (Saints)- .417/.417/.500, .917 OPS. 1 2B #12- Brandon Winokur (Wind Surge)- .400/.375/.400, .775 OPS #13- Khadim Diaw (Wind Surge)- .385/.529/.385, .914 OPS #14- Quentin Young (Mussels)- .167/.286/.167, .452 OPS #15- Ryan Gallagher (Saints)- 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K #17-C.J. Culpepper (Saints)-1 ⅓ IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K #18- Yasser Mercedes (Kernels)- .294/.400/.412, .812 OPS, 2 2B #19- Billy Amick (Wind Surge)- .250/.428/.333, .771 OPS, 1 2B #20- Kyle DeBarge (Wind Surge)- .429/.500/.714, 1.214 OPS, 2 2B, 1 3B TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Columbus @ St. Paul Saints- RHP Jack Anderson Midland @ Wichita Wind Surge- TBD Cedar Rapids Kernels @ Dayton- RHP Ivran Romero Fort Myers Mighty Mussels @ St. Lucie- RHP Eric Hammond FCL Orioles @ FCL Twins - TBD View the full article

Box Score SP: Joe Ryan 4 IP, 10 H, 8 ER, 3 K, 0 BB (78 pitches, 55 strikes) HR: None, for the Twins Bottom 3 WPA: Ryan -0.49, Clemens -0.05, Caratini -0.05 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs): The Twins entered Monday night knowing just how important the next four games could be. After dropping two of three to the Cubs over the weekend for their first series loss since June 24, Minnesota arrived in Cleveland needing to make up ground in both the American League Central and Wild Card races. The Twins opened the series four games behind the division lead and two games out of the final Wild Card spot, with the Guardians sitting directly in front of them in the postseason chase. It also happened to be a Joe Ryan day. With Minnesota's back end of the rotation continuing to search for consistency, every start from the club's ace carries added importance. Games Ryan starts have increasingly felt like must-win opportunities, making Monday's opener an ideal chance for the Twins to regain momentum. Instead, it became one of the ugliest losses of the season. Ryan turned in one of the worst outings of his career, lasting just four innings while allowing eight earned runs on 10 hits. Six of those hits left the ballpark, tying the major-league record for the most home runs allowed by a pitcher in a single game. The eight earned runs were also the most Ryan has surrendered since allowing 10 against the Padres in 2022. Cleveland wasted no time putting Ryan on the defensive. Brayan Rocchio launched a two-run homer in the first inning before Rhys Hoskins followed immediately with a solo shot, giving the Guardians a quick 3-0 lead. The Twins briefly answered in the second inning. Brooks Lee lined an RBI triple past a diving Chase Delauter before Alan Roden brought him home with a sacrifice fly, cutting the deficit to 3-2 and giving Minnesota a brief spark. It didn't last. The Guardians immediately resumed their power display in the bottom of the second. Petey Halpin, who entered the night with just a .471 OPS, crushed a two-run homer before 2024 No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana added another long ball later in the inning. The home run barrage continued from there. Hoskins connected for his second homer of the night in the third inning, before Halpin also left the yard for a second time in the fourth, chasing Ryan from the game with Cleveland holding an 8-2 advantage. Unfortunately for the Twins, the damage didn't stop when Ryan exited. Cleveland continued to pile on against Minnesota's low-leverage relievers, adding runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings while turning the opener into a complete rout. By the end of the night, the Guardians had collected 19 hits, including seven home runs and four doubles, overwhelming every pitcher the Twins sent to the mound. Minnesota managed a pair of late runs after the outcome had long since been decided. Trevor Larnach delivered an RBI single in the seventh inning before Victor Caratini doubled home another run in the eighth, trimming the deficit to 13-4. Those late contributions did little more than make the final score slightly more respectable. The 13-4 defeat was about as discouraging a way as possible to begin a pivotal four-game series. The Twins fell to 49-52 and now sit three games below .500, while dropping to 2.5 games behind the final American League Wild Card spot with three teams standing between them and a playoff position. With the trade deadline now just a couple of weeks away, every loss increases the pressure on Minnesota to prove it remains a legitimate postseason contender. What's Next The Twins will try to bounce back Tuesday evening, when the second game of the series begins at 5:40 p.m. Minnesota has yet to announce a starting pitcher, while Cleveland will hand the ball to impressive rookie Parker Messick as the Twins look to avoid falling even further behind in the playoff race. Postgame Interviews: Coming soon... Bullpen Usage Chart: THUR FRI SAT SUN MON TOT Nance 0 25 0 0 36 61 Gómez 0 22 0 0 0 22 Morris 0 14 0 0 0 14 Rogers 0 2 0 0 0 2 Rojas 0 0 18 0 0 18 Go 0 0 0 23 24 47 Adams 0 0 0 45 0 45 Funderburk 0 0 0 14 16 30 Alex Jackson 0 0 0 0 11 11 Paredes 0 0 40 0 0 40 View the full article

HOUSTON, TX — On Monday afternoon, the Miami Marlins placed Max Meyer on the 15-day IL due to a neck strain. He will be eligible to return beginning on August 3. "It popped up for the first time in that start versus Seattle at home pre All-Star break," manager Clayton McCullough said. "He felt a sensation in the neck area in that outing and we went with the the extra time. He felt much better with that time down and was able to get through his throwing and bullpens. We all felt he was in a good place to go make that start after the break, and then third inning of the game in Milwaukee, he said he felt a similar sensation there. Felt like it was worth going to get some further examination on that, and he went out to to L.A. to get that looked." Meyer this season has made 20 starts posting a 2.68 ERA, 3.51 FIP, 9.81 K/9 and a 3.32 BB/9. He was selected to his first MLB All-Star Game along with Otto Lopez. His 111 innings pitched is already a career-high. To temporarily take Meyer's spot on the active roster, the team recalled right-hander Zach Brzykcy from Triple-A Jacksonville. We have seen the Marlins successfully use bullpen games this year to fill in for injured starters, but they could also call up a more traditional replacement prior to Friday's game (originally scheduled to be Meyer's next start). McCullough said they'll base that decision on how the Houston Astros series goes. Already on the 26-man roster, Ryan Gusto can go multiple innings and has already started six games this season at the big league level. Meanwhile, veteran Braxton Garrett in his last 31 innings at Triple-A has a 0.29 ERA. Garrett made two starts at the big league level during the month of May, but struggled with control, walking eight total batters. Overall, in 14 Jumbo Shrimp appearances (13 starts), Garrett has a 1.52 ERA, 3.85 FIP, 9.76 K/9 and 3.30 BB/9. The Marlins and Astros begin a three-game set at 8:10 pm ET. Janson Junk will make his second start since coming back from his own IL stint. View the full article

One step forward and one step back for the Chicago Cubs' pitching staff. Right-handed starter Jameson Taillon was activated from the 15-day injured list to start for the Cubs in Monday's opener of a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers. Right-hander Aaron Civale was also formally added to the 26-man roster after being designated for assignment by the A's and traded to the Cubs on Saturday. The bad news comes in the form of right-handed reliever Phil Maton going back on the 15-day IL with tendinitis in his right knee. This is his third trip to the IL with the same knee issue. Also, left-hander Drew Pomeranz was designated for assignment. Taillon has been out since going on the IL June 9 with a strained left hamstring. He spent the last two weeks on a rehab assignment. The Cubs' rotation has been besieged by injuries, one reason for the addition of Civale, who had a 5.42 ERA in 16 games for the A's. Entering Monday's start, Taillon has 6.31 FIP (5.19 ERA) with an 8% walk rate and 20.6% strikeout rate. Maton has been a fairly reliable reliever before this season. In addition to the constant knee ailments, he has posted a 5.49 FIP (6.18 ERA) in 31 games and 27⅔ innings. His walk rate (11.8%) and strikeout rate (22.8%) are way down from last year, when he posted marks of 8.9% and 36.7%. Pomeranz was signed to a minor-league contract June 22 after being released by the Los Angeles Angels on June 18. After being called up July 3, Pomeranz had a 9.45 FIP (7.94 ERA) in 5⅔ innings over six appearances. View the full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals): Cubs win, 2-1 Season Record: 41–52-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays): Biscuits win, 3-0 Season Record: 49–41 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis Cardinals): Cubs win, 2-1 Season Record: 51–35 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox): Lose, 3-0 Season Record: 36–52 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 41–52-1 Series Opponent: Memphis Redbirds (55-41) Series Standing: Win, 2-1 July 19: The Iowa Cubs claimed a series victory on the road with a dominant 13-4 victory over the Memphis Redbirds on Sunday at AutoZone Park. The Redbirds plated a run in their first trip to the plate but the Cubs would take the lead for good in the ballgame with four runs in the third. Jonathan Long (4-for-6) launched a solo shot, his 11th of the season, and Owen Ayers (1-for-4) drove in a pair with a two-run single. James Triantos (3-for-5) then capped the frame with an RBI-double. Owen Miller (2-for-4) broke the game open with a three-run shot in the fifth to make it 7-1 before the Redbirds grabbed one run back in the bottom of the inning. Iowa put the contest out of reach with three more in the fifth to make it 10-2, with Long doubling in a run and Moisés Ballesteros (2-for-5) bringing in two with a single. The hosts would score two more in the eighth but the I-Cubs put three more on the board in the ninth, making it 13-4, thanks to an RBI-triple from Ben Cowles (2-for-5) and a two-run homer from Brett Bateman (2-for-5). Will Sanders got the start on the mound for Iowa and picked up the win, improving to 6-1 on the season. Sanders allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits over five innings of work, walking one and striking out two. Offensively, Iowa tallied 16 hits on the day, with seven of the nine starters recording at least one hit and one RBI. Six of those batters also recorded multi-hit efforts. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 49–41 Series Opponent: Montgomery Biscuits (44–45) Series Standing: Lose, 3-0 July 19: The Knoxville Smokies were swept by the Montgomery Biscuits following a 10-2 defeat on Sunday at DABOS Park. The Smokies were outscored 17-4 during the three-game set. The Biscuits jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first and held that lead throughout the ballgame. Knoxville got on the board in the fifth when Ethan Hearn (1-for-4) singled in a run but Montgomery would score three times in the home half of the inning and two more in the sixth to make it 9-1. Hearn grounded out in the seventh, bringing in another run for the Smokies, but the Biscuits grabbed that run right back after the stretch to make it 10-2. Kevin Valdez got the start on the mound for Knoxville, making his Double-A debut, and took the loss, falling to 0-1 on the season. Valdez allowed four runs on nine hits over 3 1/3 innings of work, striking out two batters without issuing a walk. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 51–35 Series Opponent: Peoria Chiefs (41–48) Series Standing: Win, 2-1 July 19: The South Bend Cubs blanked the Peoria Chiefs on Sunday, 7-0, to earn a series victory at Four Winds Field. Both teams were held scoreless through four innings until the Cubs broke the deadlock with five runs in the fifth. Kane Kepley (1-for-2) opened the scoring with a bunt single with the bases loaded and a Josiah Hartshorn (0-for-4) fielder’s choice resulted in three runs scoring, thanks to an error also occurring on the play. Jose Escobar (3-for-4) capped the scoring in the frame on an RBI-single. Angel Cepeda (1-for-3) launched a solo shot in the sixth, his second of the season, and Escobar brought home another run with a single in the seventh to make it 7-0. Kohl Franklin got the start on the mound for South Bend and took no decision. Franklin allowed just two hits over 4 1/3 innings of work, walked one batter and struck out four. After Eli Jerzembeck worked 2/3 scoreless frames, Pierce Coppola picked up his first-career High-A victory by firing three shutout innings, yielding two hits to go along with two walks and two strikeouts. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 36–52 Series Opponent: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (47–43) Series Standing: Lose, 3-0 July 19: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were swept by the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers after dropping Sunday’s series finale, 10-2, at Atrium Health Ballpark. The Cannon Ballers scored twice in both the first and second innings to take a 4-0 lead before Alexis Hernandez (1-for-4) got the Pelicans on the board with an RBI-groundout. Kannapolis got that run back in the bottom of the inning before Derniche Valdez (2-for-4) plated Myrtle Beach’s final run of the ballgame with a single in the sixth. The Cannon Ballers again prevented a shutdown frame with a run in the sixth and added three more in the seventh and one more in the eighth to ease to the 10-2 win. Noah Edders got the start on the mound for the Pelicans and was handed the loss, falling to 0-4 on the season. Edders allowed four runs on six hits over three innings of work to go along with two walks and three strikeouts. View the full article

In a surprising development, the San Diego Padres are losing one of their more productive hitters. Designated hitter Miguel Andjuar was placed on the 10-day injured list before Monday's series opener against Atlanta due to a fractured right wrist. Catcher Rodolfo Duran was called up from Triple-A El Paso. A wrist fracture likely means Andujar is out at least a month if not more. Andujar, who went 0-for-4 with a walk, and Manny Machado (0-for-2, two walks), were the only Padres starting position players who did not get a hit in Sunday's 19-2 win in the series finale against the Kansas City Royals. Andujar began the game as the DH, but then shifted to third base when Machado was pulled in the eighth inning and then went to first base in the ninth. Andujar handled just one defensive chance, the game-ending groundout that he flipped to pitcher Wandy Peralta, who covered first base. He did not appear to be injured on the play. Andujar, signed in the offseason to be a key right-handed bat, has produced a .259/.303/.423 slash line with five homers and 22 RBIs and a team-leading 20 doubles. Depending on how the next two weeks sorted out, Andujar was a strong candidate to be traded before the Aug. 3 deadline. Duran's call-up likely means catcher Luis Campusano gets some time at DH, with Duran and Freddy Fermin splitting catching duties. Duran made his MLB debut this season after 11 years in the minors and had a .146/.222/.305 slash line with three homers and eight RBIs in 36 games. View the full article

The return of Luis Robert Jr. comes just in time for the New York Mets. No, not because they need him to make a push for the postseason. That is already out the door. But Robert, a center fielder activated off the 60-day injured list Monday following a lumbar spine disc herniation that has kept him out since the end of April, could bring the Mets something in a trade if he shows he is healthy and can perform in the next two weeks. To make room for Robert on the roster, first baseman Eric Wagaman was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. The Mets had an open spot on their 40-man roster. Also, shortstop Zack Short, who cleared waivers after being designated for assignment, was outrighted to Triple-A. He has the option to choose free agency. Robert, acquired in January from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for infielder Luisangel Acuna and right-hander Truman Pauley, has a .224/.327/.329 slash line with two homers and eight RBIs over 24 games in his first season with the Mets. He has a club option for $20 million that the Mets are surely to decline at this point. Wagaman has shuttled between Syracuse and the Mets, posting a .162/.262/.324 slash line over 21 games in the majors. View the full article

The Royals have signed LHP Aaron Bummer to a minor league deal. Bummer opted out of his minor league deal with the Cubs on July 17. Bummer pitched in the major leagues with the Braves earlier this year without much success. He pitched 15 1/3 innings, giving up 13 earned runs and striking out 13 with 10 walks. Bummer was released by the Braves and signed with the Cubs in late May. He made six appearances in the minor leagues for the Cubs, pitching six innings, during which he gave up four runs on eight hits. Bummer's best season was in 2019 with the Chicago White Sox, where he was worth 2.7 bWAR over 67 2/3 innings pitched. He pitched with the White Sox through 2023 before being traded to Atlanta, where he was until he was released earlier this year. Over his 10-year career, Bummer has a 3.94 ERA and 3.44 FIP over 406 appearances and 397 innings. Bummer has reported to Triple-A Omaha. View the full article

What a roller coaster of a season it has been for the Chicago Cubs. Two ten-game winning streaks and a ten-game losing streak within the first two months of the season, a 23-3 win directly followed by a 17-1 loss, and so many more ebbs and flows to go along with it. When you wrap all that up into a ball and analyze it, Chicago is 56-43 entering Monday's three-game series against the Detroit Tigers. Let's dive into where that stands in relation to the National League playoff picture. Prior to any of Monday's action, the Los Angeles Dodgers hold a 0.5-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the best record not only in the National League, but in all of baseball. Los Angeles sits at 63-37, with Milwaukee ever so close behind at 62-37. The Cubs 56-43 record is the fourth best in the National League, just 1.5 games worse than the Atlanta Braves who lead the NL East with a 57-41 record. If the postseason were to begin today, this is what the playoff bracket would look like. 6. St. Louis Cardinals vs. 3. Atlanta Braves 5. Philadelphia Phillies vs. 4. Chicago Cubs St. Louis is one of three teams tied for the third and final NL Wild Card spot (alongside the Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates); three more clubs are within 2.5 games of that trio, with those being the Arizona Diamondbacks, Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres. So, with all of the current playoff and standing situations laid out, what does Chicago need to do to improve its chances of holding onto one of those spots? The answer to that seems pretty simple on the surface, and it's very clearly to improve the pitching staff. The Cubs have been decimated with injuries to both the starting rotation and bullpen this season but are still 13 games over .500 despite it. Injuries to Cade Horton, Justin Steele, Ben Brown, Matthew Boyd, Daniel Palencia, Hunter Harvey and so many others have caused the Chicago front office to do deep diving to find pitching help throughout the season. Making moves to help the pitching staff are clearly the route the front office needs to take at the trade deadline. When looking around at lineups for the teams Chicago will need to shut down in order to be successful, there are some seriously dangerous left-handed power bats. The likes of Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Matt Olson, Drake Baldwin, Alec Burleson are all currently part of teams in playoff position. Adding at least one more left-handed pitcher to either the starting rotation or the bullpen may be the smartest thing to do. Caleb Thielbar as the high-leverage lefty reliever this season hasn't worked out great, so another option for the late innings would be advisable. The front office could also be ultra-aggressive and throw the farm at the Detroit Tigers to try and acquire Tarik Skubal to be the anchor of the rotation for the rest of the season. Whatever the decisions ultimately end up being, pitching is what Chicago will need to stay competitive in a loaded National League playoff picture for the remainder of the season. View the full article

The Twins have no shortage of needs as the trade deadline approaches, but one priority stands above the rest. If this team is serious about making a playoff push, the bullpen has to be fixed. The numbers leave little room for debate. Minnesota's relievers rank 27th in baseball with a 4.72 ERA and 24th in fWAR. Too often, strong starts have unraveled late because the bullpen simply has not been able to protect leads with any consistency. Every contender needs trustworthy relief pitching in October, and right now, the Twins are far from having that. That reality has naturally led to plenty of discussion about adding another high-leverage reliever or two before the deadline. While that certainly makes sense, there may be an even smarter way to address the bullpen. Instead of strictly trading for relievers, the Twins should consider trading for another starting pitcher. At first glance, it seems counterintuitive. The rotation has clearly outperformed the bullpen this season, ranking 15th in MLB in ERA and 13th in fWAR. Compared to the relief corps, that looks like a strength. Dig a little deeper, however, and there are still legitimate concerns about whether this group can carry the Twins through the final two months. Zebby Matthews remains one of the biggest question marks. His season ERA sits at 5.40, and while he has flashed the ability that made him one of the organization's most intriguing pitching prospects, the inconsistency has been impossible to ignore. Three of his 12 starts have resulted in seven or more earned runs allowed, including Sunday's outing at Wrigley Field when he surrendered eight runs in just three innings. Those kinds of blowups are incredibly difficult for a playoff hopeful to absorb. Connor Prielipp has experienced a similar learning curve. There have been stretches where his upside has been obvious, but there have also been too many outings where command or efficiency has eluded him. His 5.00 ERA reflects that inconsistency. Prielipp is currently on a rehab assignment and should return to the major-league rotation soon, but he is also entering uncharted territory with his workload. After years of injuries limited his innings, asking him to shoulder a significant role throughout the remainder of the season comes with understandable risk. Bailey Ober adds another layer of uncertainty. He recently returned from the injured list and owns a respectable 4.32 ERA, but his profile continues to walk a fine line. Ober succeeds through command and deception, rather than overpowering velocity, and every outing seems to require near-perfect execution. His 88-MPH fastball leaves very little margin for error against playoff-caliber lineups. None of this is to suggest the rotation is a disaster. Joe Ryan has pitched like an ace, Taj Bradley has been an outstanding addition, and the group has generally done enough to keep the Twins competitive. The problem is that Minnesota cannot afford to ignore the uncertainty behind them while also trying to solve the bullpen. The solution may be simpler than many expect. Instead of splitting prospect capital between a starting pitcher and a reliever, the Twins could acquire another established starter who slots behind Ryan and Bradley in the postseason rotation. Whether that pitcher is someone like Freddy Peralta, Kevin Gausman, or another veteran who becomes available, adding a quality starter would immediately strengthen the rotation while creating another benefit that extends beyond those five days between starts. It would free one of the current starters to move into the bullpen. Both Matthews and Prielipp have the type of arsenal that could become even more dangerous in relief. We've already seen this blueprint succeed within the Twins organization. Griffin Jax transformed from an inconsistent starter into one of baseball's best relievers. Louis Varland followed a similar path and has become one of baseball's most valuable bullpen arms (unfortunately with Toronto). Matthews has all the ingredients to be next. As a starter, he already sits comfortably in the mid-90s with his fastball. Working one inning at a time, it's easy to envision that velocity climbing into the upper 90s and regularly touching 98 MPH. Pair that with a slider opponents are hitting just .203 against this season, and suddenly the Twins could have another legitimate late-inning weapon. His changeup would also likely play up against left-handed hitters once it's paired with premium velocity. Prielipp offers a similarly intriguing profile. His fastball already has plenty of life, and shorter outings could allow him to consistently approach triple digits. His slider has been his best pitch, limiting opponents to a .198 batting average. As a reliever, he would immediately give Minnesota a power lefthander capable of attacking the highest-leverage situations, something this bullpen desperately lacks. Rather than viewing a starting pitcher as a luxury, the Twins should see one as an opportunity to improve two areas of the roster at once. A new starter would stabilize the rotation, reduce the pressure on Matthews or Prielipp, and allow one of those electric young arms to shift into a bullpen role where the raw stuff could play at an even higher level. The Twins unquestionably need bullpen help before the deadline. They might find the best way to get it by trading for a starter, instead. What do you think? Should the Twins prioritize another reliever, or would adding a starting pitcher and moving Matthews or Prielipp into the bullpen be the smarter deadline strategy? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! View the full article

Just in time for a push before the trade deadline, Buck is back. The Minnesota Twins on Monday activated All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton from the 10-day injured list and optioned infielder Tristan Gray to Triple-A St. Paul. Buxton had been out since going on the IL July 7 with a strained right hip, the same ailment that kept him out for four games that week. Now, Buxton rejoins the Twins after being out for nearly two weeks and will be in the lineup Monday as Minnesota opens a big four-game series on the road against the Cleveland Guardians, who are in second place in the AL Central, just three games ahead of the Twins and one game behind the first-place Chicago White Sox. Buxton is slashing .271/.328/.575 with 25 homers, which ranks eighth in MLB, and 45 RBIs. Buxton, who has a lengthy injury history, hit a career-high 35 homers last year. Gray has been a valuable defensive piece on the infield, seeing quite a bit of time at shortstop, but has a slash line of just .232/.271/.333 with four homers and 29 RBIs. This likely opens the door for Ryan Kreidler to see a bulk of the time at shortstop and Brooks Lee backing him up. View the full article

Twins GM Jeremy Zoll reported that Mick Abel and David Festa are both unlikely to pitch this year. Abel had arthroscopic elbow surgery on July 1. He looked good before going on the injured list. In his two starts before going on the injured list, he threw 13 innings, giving up zero runs and recording 16 strikeouts with just three walks. The hope when he went on the injured list was that he would be back later in the summer, but after surgery, it looks unlikely he will pitch again in 2026. Unfortunately for Festa, he has been on the injured list all year after dealing with a shoulder impingement in Spring Training. He was starting to work back, and in unfortunate circumstances, symptoms resurfaced, which put his rehab on pause. Zoll stated that Festa may be dealing with thoracic outlet syndrome, but the team would know more once he visits a specialist. Festa dealt with thoracic outlet syndrome in September of last season, so the hope is that this isn't a recurring issue but something else. With this news, the Twins rotation loses potential depth options, and maybe this leads to the Twins adding a starter if they do decide to buy at the trade deadline in a few weeks. View the full article

Johan Santana played 12 seasons in the major leagues before shoulder injuries cut his career short. Santana built a legendary career by winning 2 American League Cy Young Awards, the pitching Triple Crown, and throwing the first no-hitter in Mets history. View the full article

The Blue Jays were supposed to use the All-Star break to recharge and reset for a crucial stretch leading up to the trade deadline. Instead, they came out flat. After allowing 12 runs to the White Sox in the series opener, the Blue Jays managed just one run over the final two games and somehow escaped without being swept. In this episode, Owen and Jesse say goodbye to the Blue Jays' playoff hopes and shift the conversation to what is still worth watching over the remainder of the season. Plus, they share their frustration with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s disappointing season, highlight encouraging performances from Shane Bieber and Trey Yesavage, and give some love to the brand-new Joe Carter statue outside Rogers Centre. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jays-centre-podcast/id1846108462 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bi7SzfpcqMo5xYWnbCeoL Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-jays-centre-podcast-300304824/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/2qk9wqxd Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayscentre View the full article

Boston Red Sox Weekly Snapshot Record Last Week: 4-0 Runs Scored Last Week: 28 Runs Surrendered Last Week: 10 Standings 3rd in AL East 6.0 GB First Place 3rd in AL Wild Card Transactions 07/13/26: Boston Red Sox signed free agent RHP Tommy Kahnle to a minor league contract. 07/14/26: Detroit Tigers traded OF Jahmai Jones to Boston Red Sox for Player To Be Named Later. 07/14/26: Boston Red Sox optioned OF Nate Eaton to Worcester Red Sox. 07/14/26: OF Jahmai Jones roster status changed by Boston Red Sox. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox recalled LHP Alec Gamboa from Worcester Red Sox. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed SS Jace Mataczynski. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed LHP Brett Lanman. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed RHP Lucas Davenport. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed LHP Josh Volmerding. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed OF Owen Hull. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed LHP Kide Adetuyi. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed RHP Mason Lei. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed RHP Kaleb LaFavor. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox activated 1B Willson Contreras. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed RHP Luis Calderon. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox activated OF Jahmai Jones. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed SS Jake Schaffner. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed SS Wills Maginnis. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed free agent LHP Carson Revay to a minor league contract. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed OF Martin Shelar. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox activated OF Jahmai Jones. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed SS Colton Coates. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed RHP Alex Kranzler. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed RHP Jase Evangelista. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed SS Jacob Webster. 07/18/26: Boston Red Sox optioned LHP Alec Gamboa to Worcester Red Sox. 07/18/26: Boston Red Sox released LHP Danny Coulombe. Scores Game 95: BOS 10, TB 0 Game 96: BOS 5, TB 3 Game 97: BOS 7, TB 6 Game 98: BOS 6, TB 1 Series Breakdown/Highlights Rays Series: Talk about the perfect way to come out of the All Star Break. For the past handful of years, the Red Sox have ridden a wave of momentum into the Midsummer Classic only to come limping out of the gate in the second half. The 2026 Red Sox though? The team that many, including this writer, counted out as the calendar flipped from June to July? That’s not how they roll. The Red Sox decided that July was their month and it continued into this series. In game one of the Friday double header, a make up of a rainout from May 9, the team was without All-Star Willson Contreras for the final game of his suspension, but the offense wasn’t lacking in any way. The offensive outbreak was spurred by home runs from both Masataka Yoshida and Carlos Narvaez. Narvaez contributed three RBIs overall, tied for the team lead with Jarren Duran. Along with Yoshida, Ceddanne Rafaela, Caleb Durbin, and Tsung-Che Cheng all contributed one RBI each. On the defensive side of the ball, Jake Bennett was again fantastic on the bump tossing six innings of shutout baseball, only allowing one hit and striking out three. Alex Gamboa was called up to be the extra man for the double header, and he contributed three innings of two-hit baseball while striking out one. Game two was kicked off by a towering two-run home run from Wilyer Abreu, followed by a moonshot from Contreras. Abreu then added a second home run in the third inning, just for good measure. Anthony Seigler added the other RBI to the box score. On the pitching side, this was a bullpen game to end all bullpen games. The Sox used seven different pitchers en route to the win. Eduardo Rivera started the game, going 2.1 innings while allowing three runs and striking out three. Those were the only runs the Rays would score though as Greg Weissert, Jovani Moran, Tyron Guerrero, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten, and Aroldis Chapman all worked clean frames from the third inning on. Game three was arguably the game of the season so far. Patrick Sandoval wasn’t sharp, but he did his job through five innings. He struck out five while allowing four earned runs. Ryan Watson tossed two innings, giving up one earned run, while Whitlock and Chapman held the back end of the game together with an iron fist. Offensively, we’re likely looking at Abreu’s breakout series. To go along with the two home runs he hit in game two, he clobbered two more in game three, including the one that put the team in front for good. Yoshida, Rafaela, and newcomer Jahmai Jones all contributed RBIs to the win. If you want to hear one of the most electric calls of the season, and watch the reaction from the dugout and bullpen after Abreu connects, I’ve put it here. Dave O’Brien catches a lot of flack from fans, but he has been on fire with his calls during this stretch. Game four saw the ball handed to the ace of the staff, Sonny Gray, and he started off a bit shaky but he pitched his way out of traffic in the first three innings and only allowed one earned run on the day. He notched five strikeouts and, thanks to the offense coming alive in the third and fifth innings, notched his 11th win of the season. Weissert, Moran, and Watson all worked great out of the bullpen on the day, making sure the Sox could waltz to their 13th win in a row and another sweep of an AL East foe. Offensively, Contreras launched another homer and drove in two runs while Caleb Durbin, Romy Gonzalez, and Andruw Monasterio all contributed one RBI as well. This series was exactly what the Red Sox needed to do coming out of the All-Star Break. They put the AL East-leading Rays on the ropes in the first game and didn’t let up until the final out on Sunday night. It has truly been a magical run lately. Website Highlights Red Sox’s Elite Rotation Faces Existential Innings Crisis in the Second Half by Nick John Red Sox’s Furious First-Half Finish Demands Cautious Optimism from the Front Office by Ryan Painter Is Willson Contreras Primed for a Second-Half Power Outage? What History Has to Say About Fabled “Home Run Derby Curse” by Ryan Salvaggio Looking Ahead 07/20/26: Orioles (Shane Baz) @ Red Sox (Payton Tolle): 7:10 PM EDT 07/21/26: Orioles (Kyle Bradish) @ Red Sox (TBD): 7:10 PM EDT 07/22/26: Orioles (Dean Kremer) @ Red Sox (Jake Bennett): 7:10 PM EDT 07/23/26: Off Day 07/24/26: Blue Jays @ Red Sox: 7:15 PM EDT 07/25/26: Blue Jays @ Red Sox: 4:10 PM EDT 07/26/26: Blue Jays @ Red Sox: 1:35 PM EDT View the full article

San Diego Padres Weekly Snapshot Record last week: 1-2 (48-48) Runs scored last week: 26 Runs allowed last week: 15 (season run differential: minus-32) Scores Monday: All-Star break Tuesday: American League 4, National League 0 Wednesday: All-Star break Thursday: All-Star break Game 97 (Friday): Royals 7, Padres 6 (10 innings) Game 98 (Saturday): Royals 6, Padres 1 Game 99 (Sunday): Padres 19, Royals 2 Week in Review and Highlights Royals series Game 1: This looked like it could be an inspirational start to the biggest stretch of the season. It turned out to be a devastating loss. After putting themselves in position to win the opener of a 10-game road trip with three runs in the top of the 10th inning, the Padres watched the struggling Royals chip away in the bottom half and walk off with a 7-6 victory. The loss dropped the Friars below .500 at 48-49. The decisive hit was almost cruel, yet fitting. No. 2 catcher Carter Jensen, a left-handed hitter, hit a soft grounder past a drawn-in shortstop Xander Bogaerts that scored two runs. It was the fourth single of an inning that produced four runs. This is also a game where the injuries that the Padres currently have in the bullpen contributed to the outcome. With right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez and left-hander Adrian Morejon (two innings) having covered three innings, right-handed closer Mason Miller came on for the bottom of the ninth to protect the tie that the Padres forged in the top half on Ty France's huge solo homer with two outs, his 12th of the year. Miller, the Padres' lone All-Star who faced just one batter in Tuesday's All-Star Game, got himself into trouble by yielding a bloop single to Isaac Collins and a double to Jensen, with Collins stopping at third. After an intentional walk to superstar Bobby Witt Jr., Miller did what he does best and struck out the next three batters to send the game into extra innings. The Padres pounced on the opportunity. Miguel Andujar doubled in automatic runner Jake Cronenworth, pinch-hitter Sung-Mun Song reached on an error by Royals right-handed closer Lucas Erceg on a sacrifice bunt, Fernando Tatis Jr. singled home Andujar, moving Song to third, and Bogaerts hit a sacrifice fly to make it 6-3. But everything unraveled for left-hander Kyle Hart, forced into a high-leverage situation usually reserved for right-handers Jason Adam or Jeremiah Estrada, both of whom are hurt. Singles by Salvador Perez and Michael Massey scored the automatic runner, then a bunt single loaded the bases. The light-hitting Collins hit a chopper to second, with Cronenworth's only play at first but plating a run to make it 6-5. Jensen followed with his game-winner. Game 2: The Padres could have and probably should have been angry coming into the second game against the Royals. Yet it certainly didn't manifest into much of anything positive. The Friars were stifled offensively and right-handed starter Griffin Canning was chased in the fourth inning of a 6-1 loss to the Royals, putting the Padres two games below .500 at 48-50. Canning made it just 3⅔ innings, surrendering four runs on five hits, including a Lane Thomas homer, with two walks and four strikeouts, dropping his record to 1-8. He was coming off three straight solid outings, but couldn't continue that momentum against the last-place Royals. Right-hander Matt Waldron followed Canning by allowing a pair of runs in 2⅓ innings. There was a small bright spot for the Padres' offense as Tatis hit a solo home run in the third inning, his sixth of the season. France and Cronenworth each had two hits. Otherwise, that was it against journeyman right-hander Randy Dobnak and four relievers. It was a disappointing outcome for the second day in a row to begin a key road trip. Game 3: Have you ever hosted a dinner party where the main course feel extremely flat, but your dessert flipped that mood? That is how the Padres' series finale against the Royals feels. The Friars salvaged a bad weekend in Kansas City by exploding for a 19-2 victory. Jackson Merrill and France each hit a pair of homers, with France crushing a grand slam, and Tatis went deep for a second game in a row. A laugher can change the attitude of a team, but momentum has been fickle for the Padres since April. Even with the final six runs coming off a position player, they nearly doubled their previous season high in runs (10) and eclipsed their most hits (14, done three times) with 19, while matching the most home runs in a game this year. France had a season-high five RBIs and Tatis four, including a big two-run single in a four-run second, while Merrill went 4-for-6, Luis Rengifo added three hits and Song came off the bench to get a trio of hits. The good vibes were on the pitching side, too. While right-hander German Marquez had a short start, going three-plus innings and allowing two runs, left-hander Yuki Matsui escaped a no-out, bases-loaded jam in the fourth with a strikeout and a double play, then had a perfect fifth. Right-hander Randy Vasquez, activated from the 15-day injured list before the game, made his first true relief appearance and went three shutout innings, while left-hander Wandy Peralta returned from the bereavement list with a scoreless ninth. Now the Padres head to Atlanta, a team they swept three games from at Petco Park in late June, for four games against the NL East leader and their season still hanging by a thread. Marvelous Mason Miller Some of the amazing stats for the Padres' closer: Season stats: 2-1, 0.89 ERA, 39 games, 25 saves (25 chances), 40⅔ IP, 20 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 14 BB, 75 K, .144 opponent average Faced just one batter in the All-Star Game, striking out Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami on four four-seamers. Those pitches were the four fastest in the game at 100.3, 101.9, 102.2 and 101.7 mph. Second Padres closer to be 25-for-25 in saves before the All-Star break, joining Trevor Hoffman in 1998. Miller is the seventh player in Padres history with 25 or more saves and the ninth time it has happened (Hoffman did it three times). The double given up to Carter Jensen on Friday was the first extra-base hit Miller has allowed in 255 plate appearances, ending his MLB-record streak at 58 games (61 innings). Has struck out two or more in an outing 26 times and three or more 13 times. Random Stats The Padres had been the last team in MLB to get walked off this season, but have now suffered both of their walk-off losses in an eight-game road stretch with Friday's setback. Fernando Tatis Jr.'s second-inning single Sunday extended his on-base run to 18 of the last 19 road games. Three of his home runs have come in that stretch away from Petco Park. While Miguel Andujar went 0-for-4 Sunday, he entered the game with a .353/.371/.559 slash line in. his previous 12 games, including three three-hit games. Ty France has now hit in a season-best seven straight games, including four two-hit games. Of his 60 hits, 27 have been for extra bases. Sunday's 17-run margin of victory was the second-largest in Friars history, behind only the 21-0 triumph over the Colorado Rockies on May 10, 2025. Transactions Tuesday: Sent RHP Randy Vasquez on a rehab assignment to ACL Padres. Wednesday: Placed LHP Wandy Peralta on the bereavement list. Wednesday: Recalled RHP Jhony Brito from Triple-A El Paso. Wednesday: Sent RHP David Morgan on a rehab assignment to ACL Padres. Wednesday: Signed free-agent RHP Jackson Vasquez to a minor-league contract. Friday: Activated C Freddy Fermin from the 10-day injured list. Friday: Optioned C Rodolfo Durán to Triple-A El Paso. Sunday: Activated RHP Randy Vásquez from the 15-day injured list. Sunday: Activated LHP Wandy Peralta from the bereavement list. Sunday: Designated RHP Ron Marinaccio for assignment. Sunday: Optioned RHP Jhony Brito to Triple-A El Paso. Website Highlights Padres' rotation can't escape their fatal flaw in second half — Randy Holt Making sense of Buehler's confusing first half with Padres — Cory Sparks Padres system analysis: How industry experts rank the prospects — Steve Drumwright Padres system analysis: Prospect experts weigh in on Salas' future — Steve Drumwright Recapping Padres' draft class: Early savings give way to late-round swings — Steve Drumwright Padres set to open 2027 against Diamondbacks — Steve Drumwright Looking Ahead Monday: Padres (JP Sears) at Atlanta (Bryce Elder), 4:15 p.m. Tuesday: Padres (Walker Buehler) at Atlanta (Reynaldo Lopez), 4:15 p.m. Wednesday: Padres (Michael King) at Atlanta (TBA), 4:15 p.m. Thursday: Padres (TBA) at Atlanta (Chris Sale), 9:15 a.m. Friday: Padres at Marlins, 4:10 p.m. Saturday: Padres at Marlins, 1:10 p.m. Sunday: Padres at Marlins, 10:40 a.m. View the full article

New York Mets Weekly Snapshot Record Last Week: 2-1 Runs Scored Last Week: 29 Runs Surrendered Last Week: 34 Standings 5th in NL East (40-57) 16 GB of 1st Place, 12 GB of a Wild Card Transactions 7/12 New York Mets sent 2B Marcus Semien on a rehab assignment to Binghamton Rumble Ponies. 7/12 New York Mets recalled LHP Zach Thornton from Syracuse Mets. 7/12 New York Mets optioned RHP Tobias Myers to Syracuse Mets. 7/14 New York Mets sent RHP Dan Hammer outright to Syracuse Mets. 7/15 New York Mets sent RHP Dedniel Núñez on a rehab assignment to FCL Mets. 7/16 New York Mets designated SS Zack Short for assignment. 7/16 New York Mets activated 2B Marcus Semien from the 10-day injured list. 7/17 New York Mets sent CF Luis Robert Jr. on a rehab assignment to Syracuse Mets. 7/18 New York Mets sent RHP Clay Holmes on a rehab assignment to Brooklyn Cyclones. 7/18 New York Mets acquired RHP Rafi Vazquez from the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League. Scores Game 98: NYM 4, PHI 1 Game 99: NYM 1, PHI 6 Game 100: NYM 6, PHI 1 TL;DR Breakdown/Highlights Phillies Series: Coming fresh off the All-Star Break, the Mets started the second half against the division rival Phillies. They opened the series on the right foot behind another outstanding performance from Christian Scott and a pair of home runs from Francisco Alvarez. Alvarez accounted for three of New York’s four runs with two solo blasts, while Brett Baty added a homer of his own in the seventh inning to extend the lead. Scott tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out eight, before Trea Turner spoiled the shutout with a solo homer off Luke Weaver in the eighth. A.J. Ewing added an RBI double in the ninth, and Devin Williams recorded his 100th career save to seal the victory. The Mets struggled to generate offense in the middle game of the series as Jesús Luzardo and the Phillies kept New York quiet all afternoon. Tyrone Taylor provided the lone bright spot with a solo home run in the second inning, but the Mets managed little else against Philadelphia’s pitching staff. Sean Manaea battled through five innings as Kyle Schwarber’s early two-run homer and a three-run fifth inning gave the Phillies control. Philadelphia added two more runs in the sixth, while the Mets never mounted a serious comeback in the 6-1 defeat. The Mets wrapped up the series with one of their most complete performances of the season, fueled by rookie Nolan McLean’s dominant outing and an early offensive surge. McLean struck out 10 over six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits as he continued his impressive rookie campaign. Francisco Lindor led the offense by going 3-for-3 with a two-run homer, three RBIs, and two walks, while the Mets built a 5-0 lead through the first two innings and never looked back. Alec Bohm’s solo homer accounted for Philadelphia’s only run, as New York collected 14 hits to secure its first road series victory since early June. Website Highlights Mets Face Difficult Questions About Francisco Lindor's Future Ahead of Trade Deadline Mets' Disastrous First Half Makes It Impossible Not To Play What-If Game With Alonso, Nimmo and McNeil Despite Rough First Half, Mets Can Take Solace In Having Juan Soto Looking Ahead July 20th @ MIL July 21st @ MIL July 22nd @ MIL July 23rd: OFF July 24th: vs. LAD July 25th: vs. LAD July 26th: vs. LAD View the full article

Great offensive production from catchers tends to fly under the radar, because it doesn't always look comparatively amazing compared to other positions. That's a big reason Joe Mauer tended to be underrated. But even back in his days, a great-hitting catcher was not the rarity it is today. As the baseline for a "great-hitting catcher," let's use these simple single-season thresholds: 300 or more plate appearances, and a wOBA of .400 or better. In 2000, the year before Mauer was drafted, four different catchers reached that standard, including a pair of future Hall of Famers (Ivan Rodriguez, Mike Piazza, Charles Johnson, Jorge Posada). Since then, there's never been a year where multiple catchers made 300+ PAs with a .400+ wOBA. Six players total did so between 2003 and 2012, including Mauer's MVP season in 2009, but since 2013 it's only happened twice: one was Yasmani Grandal posting a .402 wOBA for the White Sox in 2021 (375 PA), and the other was Mitch Garver posting a .404 wOBA for the Bomba Squad in 2019 (359 PA). In other words: truly elite offensive production at the catcher position, in a large sample, has become one of the rarest things in baseball. Which brings us to Ryan Jeffers. Among MLB catchers with 150 or more plate appearances this year, only one has a wOBA of .400 or higher. It's Jeffers, at .409 in 162 PA (entering Sunday). The next-best mark belongs to Arizona catcher Gabriel Moreno (.369). Jeffers' .950 OPS is 270 points higher than the MLB average at the position, .680, which is lower than any other. Jeffers has batted second in all five of his starts since coming off the injured list, including at DH on Saturday in Chicago. He certainly fits that bill, and showed it on Friday with a crucial three-run homer that helped lift Minnesota's record back to .500 ever so briefly. It shouldn't be taken for granted how unusual it is for a team to be able to bat their catcher second or use them as a credible DH. League-wide, most clubs are burying their backstops at the bottom of the order and hoping they don't inflict too much rally-killing damage. Meanwhile, the Twins are leaning on Jeffers as a cornerstone of their lineup. That's what makes him such an intriguing piece at the trade deadline. Few players can provide a greater relative advantage to an offense as Jeffers, who is lapping the field in terms of production at his position. It comes as no surprise that a team like the Yankees, ranked dead last with a .234 wOBA from their catchers, have taken such a keen interest in Jeffers as a deadline target. Even if the Twins consider themselves buyers, there is a logical case for shopping the free agency-bound Jeffers. You fall back on Victor Caratini (another above-average, yet far from elite, catcher) and await the arrival of another potential high-end offensive catcher in Vahn Lackey, selected with the third overall draft pick earlier this month. If and when Lackey makes it to the majors, he'll be joining quite the lineage of bat-centric backstops. Whether Jeffers ultimately finishes the season in Minnesota or elsewhere, his 2026 campaign deserves to be appreciated for what it is: one of the most valuable offensive performances at the sport's most demanding position. Catcher has become an increasingly defense-first job, where teams are often content to sacrifice offense in exchange for framing, game-calling and durability. Players who excel on both sides of the equation are exceedingly uncommon. As Twins fans, we've been spoiled. Mauer earned first-ballot entry to the Hall of Fame with some of the best hitting from a catcher in history. Garver put up one the greatest offensive seasons ever produced by a Twins catcher. Now Jeffers is authoring another. That's three remarkably rare campaigns in less than two decades from one organization. If Lackey eventually becomes the next in line, Twins fans may continue to view elite offensive catching as normal. The rest of baseball knows better. View the full article

The bullpen has been a source of pride for the Milwaukee Brewers across their recent run of division dominance. Since 2018, they've had Corey Knebel, Josh Hader, Devin Williams, Jeremy Jeffress, Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe for long stretches of team control, and it's made Milwaukee one of the toughest teams in the league against which to come from behind. This season, however, things are looking shakier. Aaron Ashby is finding the strike zone less than ever. Chad Patrick has lost the feel for his cutter. Jared Koenig has lost his velocity—and his very place on the roster. Grant Anderson has held his own, but is more of a middle-relief arm than a truly dominant one. The Brewers are lacking one or two playoff-calibre arms for (perhaps) the first time since 2018, and that could hurt them in October. They're one injury to Trevor Megill or Abner Uribe away from having very little reliable quality in the bullpen; that's something they should be looking to address this month. While typically the Brewers dab around the edges at the deadline, often gambling on health (which hasn't worked out so well of late) or taking more middling arms, they should be looking for an arm they can trust in a big-game situation. They should target someone who wouldn't be out of place covering multiple roles, but who has upside akin to what Megill, Uribe, and the best version of Ashby offer. They may have to get comfortable with a slight overpay in this situation. The market is condensed; few teams view themselves as truly out of contention. As of right now, only seven teams are 6 or more games back of the Wild Card spots in each league: Cincinnati Reds San Francisco Giants Colorado Rockies New York Mets Los Angeles Angels Oakland/Sacramento/Wherever-they-are-now A's Kansas City Royals None of these teams have gotten where they are today with extremely effective pitching departments, but that doesn't mean there aren't some very interesting candidates. More options may emerge should the race for the playoffs gain more separation, with teams like the Padres, Astros, Blue Jays and Tigers all in limbo at the moment, and with some bigger pieces to covet. For now, though, let's take a look at the biggest relievers available from the seven teams realistically out of playoff contention. 1. Luke Weaver - New York Mets On all the teams definitely in trade mode, Luke Weaver is the biggest available prize. He's pitched in big playoff games for the Yankees, putting up a 1.76 ERA in 15 innings during their 2024 run to the World Series, and he's been lights-out this season. Using a high release point, Weaver averages 19" of induced vertical break on his four-seam fastball, though that's about average for his slot. The plus point is his command of the pitch, which approaches elite territory, and hitters have slugged just .242 against it this year. He complements the 95-MPH fastball with a 90-MPH cutter/slider and an 88-MPH changeup that's the prize of the bunch. Both secondaries have 30%+ whiff rates this season, with diverse movement that allows him to be essentially platoon-neutral. The 0.82 WHIP says it all. This is a 2.02 ERA that's well-earned, and Weaver is very comfortable producing in October. He is under club control next year as well, and won't come cheap, but the Brewers could do with additional bullpen reinforcement next year, too. Overall, of any pitchers on the market, this is the one who screams "closer" in October. Tough to hit, limits free passes, and swing-and-miss when he wants it: he's a reliable arm that can immediately turn the Brewers pen from "okay" to "Okayyyyyyyyyy!" 2. Antonio Senzatela - Colorado Rockies It's about time people stopped referring to Senzatela as "under-the-radar". Everyone in baseball has seen how effective the Rockies' former starter has been this year, and more so, he's doing it in a very Brewers-y way. Senzatela has added a harder cutter to his repertoire, which has removed some of the pressure on his four-seamer. As a result, his three-fastball mix has overpowered hitters, and that's all coming while pitching half of his game in Coors Field. If you want someone with a big fastball, capable of covering multiple innings while also looking comfortable closing out games, Senzatela might be the most coveted asset on the market. Using PitchProfiler's comparison graphic, we can see just how much his pitch usage has changed since last year: Having even close to average fastball stuff+ ratings is impressive, given where he's pitching, but the cutter has been more than just a swing-and-miss pitch. It's missed barrels repeatedly; the average exit velocity against it of just 84.4 mph is telling. Senzatela's contract contains a club option for next year—albeit an expensive one, at $14 million. The other interesting part of this is the Rockies front office. Not the strongest outfit in terms of analytics, what they search for in a return may be less rational or explainable. Each front office will evaluate a player differently, and this is a new group that seems to be a bit more competent than its predecessor, but the Rockies are still on any list of the handful of teams you'd most like to trade with, all else being equal. Senzatela will be traded this season. He looks primed for a big role in the postseason. Will it be with the Milwaukee Brewers? 3. Matt Strahm - Kansas City Royals For the final pick, in the absence of truly top-shelf relievers among the teams who are out of contention, why not look at someone with depleted value at present but with stronger underlying metrics and a history of performance that belies his first half this year? Former Phillies reliever Matt Strahm has a fun ERA of 7.24 with the Royals this season, but while he's lost a tick of velocity on the fastball, it's not enough to suggest this level of regression. Unlike Weaver and Senzatela, Strahm represents more of a rebound candidate than a finished product, The four-seamer/slider combo from a low left-handed arm slot would add something new to the Brewers pen. They lack a left-handed sidearmer akin to Grant Anderson. Strahm also gets real outlier movement on the fastball from his release height, and it was one of the best fastballs from a relief pitcher by run value from 2023-2025. Losing a tick of velocity shouldn't have made it regress this much; this feels salvegeable. In metric form, he's averaging 17" of induced vertical break and 13.5" of run from a 29° arm slot, which is almost unheard of. That combination creates unusually difficult angles for hitters, particularly against left-handed batters, and results in a lot of hitters getting underneath the ball and/or getting jammed. He's still managing contact well on the four-seamer and generating swing-and-miss when he wants it, and there's been no change in how often he finds the strike zone, but his slider has regressed. There may be an obvious reason why. Again, we're using Jeremy Maschino's pitcher comparison model: In 2025, Strahm was using his cutter often as a bridge pitch, and barely threw his changeup. It made his slider more difficult to pick out of the hand compared with the cutter, and both pitches did a great job of managing contact. This season, with the addition of the changeup, Strahm's fastball is playing better, but the slider has been hit hard. There is a location element to this, too. Strahm has left a lot of sliders up and over the middle of the plate compared to last season, when he dotted the outside corner to right-handers almost with impunity. Command will play as big a role as any pitch change, and I should point out that while Strahm has an ERA of 7.24, his expected ERA is below 4.00, so there has been an element of bad luck in there. Strahm would be more of a bet on past performance, but his funky release point, deceptive delivery and ability to mitigate hard contact could be invaluable in the playoffs—especially against dangerous left-handed hitters. Could he be a good buy-low option for the Brewers? What do you think of my rankings? Would you have added any other players from these seven teams that fit the criteria of a trusted October arm? let us know your thoughts in the comments below! Also, do check out our 2026 trade deadline symposium of potentially available players here! View the full article

Let’s check in on Sunday’s action down on the Boston Red Sox's farm. Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees): 0-2 Season Record: 45-46 After a postponed game on Saturday, the WooSox fell in the second game of the series, getting walked-off by the RailRiders. Worcester’s afternoon on the mound was a combined effort featuring appearances from seven different pitchers. Osvaldo Berrios got the game started, lasting two innings before being pulled. He allowed one run on two hits, issuing one walk and striking out two. Noah Song replaced him, allowing one hit and a walk amid a shutout inning. Devin Sweet came in next, lasting one inning. Sweet was perfect as he struck out one before Tyler Samaniego entered in the fifth. Samaniego allowed one run to cross home on two hits, striking out two. Seth Martinez found a similar fate as he entered the game next. He too gave up one run on two hits across an inning-long appearance. Wyatt Olds took the bump next, matching the stat line of the two relievers before him. Olds allowed another run on two hits, striking out three before Sam McWilliams got the eighth inning. McWilliams was solid through one inning, but lost the game in the ninth. He gave up a walk-off home run as Worcester dropped the final game of the series. The WooSox had a solid day at the plate, tallying seven hits and going 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Nate Eaton, Mickey Gasper, and Brett Harris each recorded an RBI as the WooSox couldn’t come up with enough offense to grab the win. The WooSox took the lead early as Eaton scored on a wild pitch in the top of the first. Eaton drove in the next run for Worcester, scoring Braiden Ward on an eighth inning RBI single. Gasper, pinch-hitting for Jason Delay, drove Nick Sogard in on an RBI single of his own later in the inning. With two outs late in the eighth, Harris tied the game with his first double of the season as he drove in Eaton. It wasn’t enough, however, as Worcester fell by a slim margin. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series vs. Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees): 2-1 Season Record: 46-41 After an offensive explosion on Saturday, the Sea Dogs mustered just two runs on Sunday. However, it was enough for a 2-1 win behind excellent pitching. Gage Ziehl got the start in the series finale against Somerset, turning in an exceptional outing. He earned his fifth win of the season after turning in five frames of shutout ball. Ziehl struck out eight, allowing just two hits and issuing one walk. Ziehl rebounded in a strong way after a disastrous eight-run meltdown the last time he took the mound. Caleb Bolden took over for the sixth, spinning a one-hit shutout inning as he struck out one. Reidis Sena got the call for the seventh inning, matching Bolden with a one-hit appearance as he kept the shutout alive. Patrick Halligan entered to begin the eighth and allowed the only run of the day as he closed the final two innings of Sunday’s game, holding onto the win. Sunday’s offensive effort from Portland paled in comparison to Saturday’s, but the Sea Dogs were potent enough to get the win. The game was in a deadlock until the fifth inning, when Matt Frazier pulled a ball down the right field line and into the corner. Frazier sped around first and second, pulling into third with a stand-up triple as Mason White crossed home from first base. In the eighth, Jack Winnay doubled the lead. He dropped a ball into the gap in right center as Nelly Taylor strode home from third. Winnay ended up at second with an RBI double, his fifth of the year. High-A Greenville Drive Series vs. Frederick Keys (Baltimore Orioles): 1-2 Season Record: 36-51 Greenville fell in a high-scoring shootout, losing the series finale. It was a shaky day to say the least for Greenville’s staff, which allowed sixteen runs on an astounding 25 hits. Jojo Ingrassia started the game for the Drive, lasting 4⅓ innings. It was a respectable outing for Ingrassia as he allowed two runs on five hits, striking out five as he issued four walks. Matt Duffy came in next as things began to fall apart for the Drive. He allowed five runs on seven hits, striking out two before Griffin Kilander made an appearance. Kilander 1⅓ innings as he let the game get away from him. He allowed six runs on six hits, striking out four. Matt McShane entered to do some damage control and ended up turning in the most successful outing of the evening for Greenville. Across 1⅓ shutout frames, he allowed two hits and a walk. P.J. Labriola took the final inning of the night, allowing four more runs (one unearned) on five hits as Frederick completed an incredible night from the dish. In the game of baseball, it’s hard to match a ten-run outpouring from your opponent, much less a 17-run onslaught. The Drive were able to put some runs on the board, but they could do little to compete with the offensive machine that was Frederick on Sunday evening. Yophery Rodriguez had himself a four-RBI night, while Luke Heyman and Isaiah Jackson had an RBI each. Three of Rodriguez’s RBIs came in the second inning. He smacked a homer to right center, scoring Gerardo Rodriguez and Ronny Hernandez as the Drive snagged an early lead. In the third, Jackson added to the lead with an RBI double, scoring G. Rodriguez once more. In the fifth, Heyman crushed his tenth homer of the season as he brought the Drive within one. In the ninth, with any chance of winning the game gone, Y. Rodriguez scored Hernandez again as he tacked on his fourth RBI of the night. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series vs. Delmarva ShoreBirds (Baltimore Orioles): 2-1 Season Record: 37-51 Salem took the series rubber match behind a three-RBI day from Kleyver Salazar. Leighton Finley and Trennor O’Donnell guided Salem to victory on Sunday with a combined two-run performance. Finley earned his fifth win of the season for his five frames of work as he got the start. He allowed two runs on four hits and issued a walk. He struck out six as he fought back against the ShoreBirds offense. O’Donnell entered in the sixth, earning his first save of the season for his bulk relief appearance. Across four shutout innings, O’Donnell allowed just two hits and didn’t issue a walk. He struck out four batters as he sealed the series win for Salem. Salazar accounted for the bulk of the Yaks offense as he went 3-for-3. Ilan Fernandez and Givian Sirvania had two hits apiece as well. Salazar’s RBIs came early. In the first inning, with Skylar King and Andrews Opata on base, Salazar shot a line drive over the wall in left field. The three-run blast, his seventh of the year, gave the Yaks an early lead that they never relinquished. Three innings later, Sirvania added a run to the lead with an RBI single, scoring Justin Barry and adding the final run of the day for Salem. View the full article